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(Editor’s note: If you want to see a better version than what I could build here, please visit frankmarianidesign.substack.com where you can gain a better understanding of the madness of Mariani.)
Let's Play Army with the Commander In Chief
Built to last
Tiananmen Square is the world’s largest paved square. This vast 880-meter-long (2887 feet) by 500-meter-wide (1640 feet) square was the stage for last week’s spectacular parade of Chinese military might.
The sturdy pavement of Tiananmen Square is designed to withstand the punishing weight of steel-treaded battle tanks, which weigh approximately 50 tons. Goose-stepping soldiers can attest to its durability, too.
The 1.7 million square feet of granite slabs that replaced concrete paving is so tough that if armored vehicles drive across it during the military parade planned for the anniversary, they "won't have any effect," the official Beijing Youth Daily report said.
Source: Deseret News
It’s not a game
If I were to enter college today with the passion I now have for history and politics (I cared little for either back then), I’d like to take electives or even minor in political science or history or both. My focus as an art major was an all-consuming hedonistic pleasure that I treasure to this day. Still, I wish I had taken complementary courses to counterweight the studio and art history experience.
Consequently, I find myself in constant catch-up mode compared to my more well-read and, frankly, much more intelligent colleagues. Heck, I was a college sophomore during Watergate and took scant interest in Tricky Dick Nixon and the performances of all the players in that opera. But in Trump, we have a new crook on the block. The Watergate story beckons me to revisit it and compare the scandalous behaviors of different eras.
Whether it’s to serve as a public distraction from other news or it’s just the result of a disorganized and chaotic approach to governing, Trump’s reaction to being excluded from the Beijing spectacle appears to have gotten under his skin.
China’s dog and pony show was a well-orchestrated event compared to the June 14 birthday parade for Trump. It was supposed to be a celebration of the army’s 250-year history, but Trump infused his own agenda into the event. Not only are Washington’s asphalt-paved streets not built for tank traffic, but Trump’s hide is not thick enough to handle being upstaged. It must have taken a lot of photo editing to give the appearance of high participation and no protest adulation at his birthday bash. Fortunately, the Army minimized street damage by installing temporary steel plates along the parade route and outfitting heavy vehicles with special rubber track pads.
I was initially going to draw Trump sitting on a three-legged stool while yelling at the TV. But I changed it to a grade school desk and chair because that’s the level he works at. Is this an ego-driven game to him? I believe so. That’s why I added GI Joe to the drawing. A toy. A plaything. While Xi was flashing hardware, Trump was playing army like we did as kids in the fields where I grew up.
This BBC story is a good read: Xi Steals the Limelight
Defense department by any other name smells
Go ahead and rename the Department of Defense to The Department of War. Show the world who’s boss. Tom Nichols provides us with a two-minute video that neatly summarizes the stupidity of this cosmetic move. Wait, it’s not just cosmetic. It’ll cost a lot of money. Hello, D.O.G.E? Is anybody home?
Parting shot
One more thing about Tiananmen Square. Photojournalist Jeff Widener’s famous “Tank Man” photo from the 1989 uprising illustrates the conviction and bravery of a solitary figure.
Imagine what 100 Senators and 435 House Representatives could do if they had the cojones. Sorry, ladies, I don’t have an equivalent euphemism.
